Community Broadband/Digital Equity Committee

Mission: Explore innovative strategies, deployments, broadband adoption initiatives, digital literacy strategies, business models and financing mechanisms for community wireless and wireline broadband projects that could serve as examples to other communities. Spearhead the nomination process and make recommendations to the board for annual Community Broadband Awards. Provide expertise, leadership, and guidance to the membership, board and staff on how to best represent the membership regarding community broadband and digital equity related policy and strategies.

Objectives:

  • Inform NATOA members of key developments in community broadband and digital equity.

  • Engage more NATOA members in the committee.

  • Conduct Community Broadband and Digital Equity Awards nomination and selection process.

  • Identify practical annual conference and e-NATOA topics for practitioners.

Accomplishments from 2023 Committee Report:

  • Held monthly meetings to discuss current topics in community broadband, increasing monthly attendance.

  • Discussed local government role in emerging Federal broadband programs, namely, ACP, BEAD and Broadband DATA mapping.

  • Instituted new ‘Local CBDE Project of the Month” featuring discussion from members about local projects, including San Francisco affordable housing broadband project, Michigan legislative reforms, Austin/Travis County digital equity strategic planning and Carroll County Maryland broadband mapping.

  • Successfully completed Community Broadband and Digital Equity Award selection process

Interested in joining? If you are seeking an opportunity to amplify your voice and are  passionate about community broadband and digital equity, we encourage you to join our committee! 

Join us!

CBDE Committee

Khotan Harmon
Khotan Harmon
Sr. Program Manager, Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs/FSD City of Austin, TX (512)968-3023
Co-Chair
Rebecca Gibbons
Rebecca Gibbons
Digital Equity Strategic Initiatives Division Manager City of Portland, OR (503)823-5515
Co-Chair

Community Broadband/Digital Equity Committee

Rebecca Gibbons
Rebecca Gibbons
Digital Equity Strategic Initiatives Division Manager City of Portland, OR (503)823-5515
Co-Chair
Khotan Harmon
Khotan Harmon
Sr. Program Manager, Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs/FSD City of Austin, TX (512)968-3023
Co-Chair
Richard Assmus
Richard Assmus
Community Connectivity Manager City of Arvada, CO (720)898-7523
Member
James Baller
James Baller
Partner Keller & Heckman, LLP (202)434-4175
Member
Todd Barnes
Todd Barnes
Communications Director City of Thornton, CO (303)538-7279
Member
Pam Berrian
Member
Erin Cochran
Department Analyst II, Digital Marin County of Marin, CA (415)473-2624
Member
Daniel S. Cohen
Daniel S. Cohen
Attorney Cohen Law Group (412)447-0130
Member
Brenda Cooper
Chief Information Officer (425)587-3050
Member
Reba Crocker
Reba Crocker
CEO ROW Consultants LLC (503)724-0766
Member
John Davis
John Davis
Cable Administrator Baltimore County, MD (410)887-2095
Member
Vishnupriya Desai
Baltimore County, MD
Member
Gabriel Garcia
Gabriel Garcia
Director & Senior Counsel CPS Energy (210)353-2033
Member
Thaddeus Girard
Administrator Metropolitan Area Communications Commission, OR +15039569721
Member
Rondella Marie Hawkins
Rondella Marie Hawkins
Director City of Austin, TX (512)974-2422
Member
Mary Beth Henry
(503)449-7281
Member
Joanne S. Hovis
Joanne S. Hovis
President CTC Technology & Energy (301)933-1488
Member
Dylan Huber-Heidorn
City of Eugene, OR
Member
Jai Kalayil
Deputy Commissioner City Of Chicago, IL (312)744-3570
Member
Gail A. Karish
Gail A. Karish
Partner Best Best & Krieger LLP 213-605-1603
Member
Ji Sook Kim
Cable Television Administrator (808)586-2620
Member
Reymon Lachaux
Digital Equity Manager City & County of San Francisco, CA (628)652-5814
Member
Jeffrey P Lueders
Jeffrey P Lueders
Interim Communications Director City of Tacoma, WA (253)591-5727
Member
Liza Massey
Liza Massey
CIO County of Marin, CA 4153427318
Member
Sean McLaughlin
Assistant City Attorney City of Lenexa, KS (913)477-7624
Member
Christopher Mitchell
Director Institute for Local Self Reliance (612)276-3456x209
Member
Jon Morrison Winters
Jon Morrison Winters
Digital Equity Program and Broadband Manager City of Seattle, WA (206)684-0498
Member
Catherine Nicolaou
Broadband Program Manager City of Albuquerque, NM
Member
Barry Orton
Barry Orton
Professor University of Wisconsin - Madison (608)347-1970
Member
Smruti Radkar
Attorney Advisor (202)442-4110
Member
Mike Reardon
Retired Cable Communications Officer City of St. Paul, MN (952)898-9722
Member
Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts
Policy Analyst City & County of San Francisco, CA (628)652-5161
Member
Jay Runte
City of Eugene, OR
Member
Carol Shawver
Cable Administrator Carroll County, MD (410)386-2095
Member
Sean A. Stokes, Esq.
Sean A. Stokes, Esq.
Partner Keller & Heckman, LLP 4104581342
Member
John Uebel
Carroll County, MD (410)386-2309
Member
Michael J. Watza
Michael J. Watza
Senior Principal Kitch Attorneys and Counselors (313)965-7983
Member